Customer Reviews

My Glass Eye

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If you saw Beth Thornley walking down the street, you probably wouldn't know her from Eve. Thornley is a woman you know by voice, especially if you're a fan of the TV shows Scrubs, Dawson's Creek and Roswell, which have featured many of her songs. My Glass Eye is a sophomore solo effort for the singer/songwriter, her first being a self-titled DIY release which garnered a very positive response from the music press.

Listening to My Glass Eye is an exotic adventure. Thornley is a masterful writer, packing some piss and vinegar into her lyrics, yet on many tracks her interpretations are as forceful as a head on collision with a dandelion. It's a blessed dichotomy. Thornley uses some wonderfully stealth metaphors and her vocal style gives each song a brilliant dimension. Musically, the album is richly diverse, sometimes emulating the country-tinged pop of Sheryl Crow, and other times the more experimentally inclined Fiona Apple. Producer Rob Cairns put the emphasis on Thornley's haunting lyricism keeping the instrumentation subdued and the vocal harmonizing to a minimum. But on songs "Stand", "Mr. Lovely", and "Bound", Cairn loosens his reigns on the band of hired guns, creating a very tight, fully sonic rock sound. My Glass Eye also features a cover of the Beatles tune "Eleanor Rigby", which is actually more laconic than the original. However, the standout track for me is the hidden untitled blues track at the end of the album. It is a short but beautifully rendered tribute to pioneers like Pink Anderson and Robert Johnson.

But it's the songwriting that soars on My Glass Eye. Thornley's creations are wickedly infectious in their slyness. My Glass Eye may be the best songwriter's album currently available on the market. And while you may not recognize Thornley as she walks down the street quite yet, don't worry. It won't be long before you will.

Glass Eye is one of the 10 best releases of 2006. Beth Thornley is a keen observer of human behavior, which is reflected in her insightful and, at times, pensive lyrics. What makes her stand above the crowd is her evocative vocals and her understanding of the importance of melody in a song.

She has written every song on the album, except Joe Jackson's Got The Time and Eleanor Rigby - where she performs a haunting cover version of the Beatles' classic.

The standout track, though, is Home By Now which may be the best song you've never heard. Hopefully, her talents will be soon be recognized by a much larger audience.

Beth Thornley's first release is a smart, sharp hook-laden collection of fantastic indie-pop songs. She has been a songwriting award finalist multiple times, and desperately deserves a much wider audience. She recalls Liz Phair's musical edginess and Aimee Mann's unsparing lyrical eye. But those are merely resonances in what is a fresh and original voice. Buy this album: you'll be mulling over the lyrics and happily humming the tunes in your shower for months.